Touched by the Hands of God: Michelangelo’s Models

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Touched by the Hands of God: Michelangelo’s Models

The exhibit Touched by the Hands of God: Michelangelo’s Models features bronze casts of six of Michelangelo’s bozzetti, small sculptural models made of clay, wax and wood. Along with Leonardo da Vinci and Raphael, Michelangelo Buonarrotti was one of the leading masters of the Italian High Renaissance and the preeminent sculptor of the 16th century. His models are part of
the renowned collection of the Museo Casa Buonarrotti in Florence, Italy, which commissioned the bronzes in cooperation with the Harry and Karly Spell Foundation. Through cutting edge technology supported by Eiger Labs, molds were produced without touching the precious bozzetti using laser scanning and rapid prototyping and were cast at the foundry of Art Casting of
Illinois, Inc. An instructional video documenting this complex casting process will accompany the exhibit. Although Michelangelo is popularly known for basing his art on mystical, spiritual forms of creative intuition, he actually relied extensively on preparatory studies like anatomical drawings and sculptural models. While little attention has been devoted to his models, the pieces in
this exhibit provide crucial insights into the complex technical methods and aesthetic concepts followed by Michelangelo in executing such monumental carved works as the David and the Captive Slaves. Due to their extreme rarity and fragility, Michelangelo’s sculptural models cannot be loaned for exhibition. The creation of bronze casts allows for Michelangelo’s sculptural designs to be made available to a wider viewing public and the durable nature of bronze permits a unique interactive museum experience in which visitors can physically touch and explore the artistry of Michelangelo’s creations.